Staking machine



May 28, 1940. D. EDGAR STAKING MACHINE `Filed April '7, 19:58`

3 Sheets-Sheet l May 28, 1940.

D. EDGAR 2,201,994

STAKING MACHINE Filed April '7, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 28, 1940. D EDGAR 2,201,994

STAKING MACHINE Filed April '7, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 MM5/m7@ Patented May 28, 194@ UNITED STATES rarer orifice STAKING MACHINE Application April 7, 1938, Serial No. 200,703

17 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for treating hides and skins. While the invention is illustrated as embodied in a machine for staking certain classes of skins as, for example, relatively light skins in the crust, and for staking and blocking skins which have been tanned and treated to produce a suede surface thereon, it will be understood that the invention and various important features thereof may have other applil0I cations and uses.

In leather manufacturing operations, tanners perform staking operations upon skins usually with the aid of Well-known types of stakers wherein reciprocating staking tools operate upon successive portions of each skin, the operation of staking the skin requiring much time and effort on the part of the operator, due to the fact that the path of the tool upon the work is relatively narrow and each path must overlap each preceding path to insure that all portions of the Work are adequately treated. It has heretofore been proposed to perform staking operations by a multiplicity of staking tools mounted either on endless belts or on the surface of a cylinder 5 of substantial diameter. In these prior constructions, it is probablethat too many blades were provided for simultaneous operation on a given skin or that blades on co-operating rolls or cylinders were arranged for an interlocking :zo effect that could not be properly adjusted. Apparently the skins were subjected in these machines to so great a staking pressure as to result in an inferior product and in some cases an unmarketable product due to damaged grain sur- :35 faces, However, to the best of my knowledge and belief, no machines of the latter type are actually in use in manufacturing operations in this or any other country, in spite of what appear to be obvious advantages, such as increased cab' pacity of the machine and safety for thel operator, particularly in com parison with the well-known reciprocating staking head of the type shown in United States Letters Patent No. 604,560, granted May 24, 1898, on an application filed in the names of Craig and Slocomb.

It is an object of this invention to provide a staking machine of the multiple blade type designed to present a tool surface extensive enough m to extend across the full Width or length of each of the skins of the class for which the machine is designed, thus providing for a speeding up of staking operations. invention to provide a staking machine of the multiple blade type which will operate emciently It is a further object of they so that there is no sacrifice of quality accompanying the increased capacity of the machine.

It is an important feature of the invention that a work support is provided which has a work y supporting surface layer yielding throughout '5 for pressing successive portions of a skin against staking blades on a carrier member moving at relatively high speed. Because of the yielding nature of all portions of the work supporting surface layer, the blades press successive portions o-f the skin relatively deeply into said surface layer whereby the said portions are sharply bent, under yielding pressure, over the edges of the rapidly moving staking blades. Hence staking of the skin is accomplished simultaneously over large areas of the latter without danger of injury to the skin. By this arrangement of blades in combination with a uniformly yieldable work supporting surface layer, the staking operation is accomplished rapidly and at the same time ehiciently. To effect treatment of different classes of Work, as for instance, relatively heavy skins as well as light sheep or kid skins, it is necessary only to substitute a yielding surface of greater or lesser firmness orresistance to the action of 25 the blades in forcing portions of the leather into said yielding surface.

Another important feature of the invention resides in the provision of a plurality of friction members, arranged in alternation with the staking blades, against which portions of each skin undergoing treatment may be pressed to draw adjacent portions of the same skin over the edges of the staking blades with the desired tension on the skin, the arrangement being further such 35 that the skin is yieldingly pressed against both the blades and the described members, the latter having the effect of increasing the staking pressure by providing the necessary tension on the skin without danger of injury to the latter.

Conveniently, the staking blades are arranged helically on the surface of a cylinder in such manner as to extend in opposite directions from the longitudinally median portion of the cylinder and the friction members referred to are in the form of ribs of felt or other suitable material arranged in alternation with the blades so that, during rotation of the cylinder, the skin is stretched in a direction longitudinally of the cylinder and at the same time is operated upon to 50 stretch and soften `siuccessive portions of the skin until its whole surface is treated.

As illustrated, a work supporting surface layer yielding throughout is provided by a brush roll having bristles suited to press skins of a given rmness and weight over the edges of the blades and into contact with the surfaces on the ribs which alternate with the blades.

The illustrated machine is particularly useful in staking operations upon suede skins since the surfaces of the ribs not only aid in the staking operation but, because of their frictional quality, serve to smooth out the nap and lift it from the surface of the skin with the bers of the nap all pointing substantially in one direction, that is, away from the backbone line of the skin. This effect on the suede surface has heretofore been obtained by a hand operation known to tanners as blocking.

Conveniently, the brush roll is mounted on swing arms arranged to be power operated in such manner that the brush roll will be caused to present a full length portion of a skin to the bladed cylinder so that substantially one-half of the skin may be treated, the brush roll being then caused to move to work receiving position preparatory to introducing the untreated portion of the skin which is then treated to complete the staking operation on that skin. In a preferred construction. a power driven feed roll is provided to cooperate with the brush roll in feeding the skin past the surface of the bladed cylinder while the latter operates at relatively high speed to effect the staking operations.

With these and other features and objects in view, the invention will now be described in detail in the specification and then pointed out more particularly in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a View in end elevation of a staking machine illustrating one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine shown in Fig, 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the middle portion of the bladed cylinder where the blades meet, it'

being understood that the blades are arranged on the cylindrical surface in a right and a left helix;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the adjacent ends of two blades in oppositely extending helices;

Fig. 5 is a somewhat diagrammatic sectional view through the work treating portions of the machine; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view along line VI-VI of Fig. 2.

In the illustrated machine, which is specially designed to perform staking operations upon skins in the crust and also staking and blocking operations upon tanned skins of the type known as suede, there is provided a yielding work supportingT surface in the form of a brush roll I0 adapted to press successive portions of a skin II against helically arranged blades I2 on a cylinder I4 of relatively large diameter. Since the bristles of the brush roll I are yielding and since the brush roll is of about the same diameter as the bladed cylinder I4, the blades I2 will press contacted skin portions of substantial size rather deeply into the surface of the brush roll, whereby successive portions of the skin are bent rather sharply over the edges of the blades to eect a stacking operation of the skin, that is, a stretching and softening of the skin II. Since the brush roll is a true cylinder. its surface layer of resilient yielding material presents a substantially even cylindrical surface for engagement with the skin, whereby the pressure of stakingr operations is the same on all parts of the skin. It is to be understood that, for light skins, the

Vbristles on the brush roll i0 are relatively long and flexible, While for operations on heavier skins the bristles are heavier, shorter, and much less iiexible. It is clear that the brush roll I constitutes an even-surfaced work support having a surface layer which is substantially uniformly yielding throughout, so that no matter where a blade I2 may press upon the work support and upon the skin undergoing treatment the contacted portions of the latter will be pressed into the yielding surface of the work support thereby bending the skin rather sharply over the blade to effect a staking operation on the skin.

As shown, there are secured to the cylinder I4, between adjacent blades I2, a plurality of ribs I6 which present each a relatively broad surface as compared to the blades. It is to be understood that the number of ribs between the blades may be varied. These ribs I6 are made of material which is relatively firm, although somewhat cornpressible, and which at the same time will act because of its frictional quality to retard movement of the skin surface I I over the surface of the rib, thereby increasing locally the tension on the skin and thus co-operating with the blades in a staking and stretching operation when only staking is desired as, for instance, in operating on skins Il in the crust, it being understood in this connection that skins in the "crust are skins which have been tanned and/or colored and subsequently dried. Preferably the ribs I5 are made of rather firm felt in which case the surfaces of the ribs, because of the frictional quality of their relatively broad surfaces, not only cooperate with the blades in staking the skins II but also, in the case of suede tanned skins, serve to smooth out and lift ythe nap of the suede surface. As clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the ribs ol felt are arranged helically between the helically arranged blades and extend in opposite directions from a longitudinally middle part of the bladed cylinder.

In order that the operator may exercise a certain amount of control of the skin II undergoing treatment, the brush roll I0 is idly mounted in swing arms I8, respectively carried by stub shafts 20 mounted in the frame of the machine. However, to assist the operator in moving the skin past the bladed cylinder I4, there is provided a feed roll 22 rotatably mounted in the frame of the machine and power driven at a predetermined speed, as will hereinafter be described. The feed roll is driven in a direction the reverse of the bladed cylinder I4 to assist the operator in moving the work piece out of the machine, the work supporting surface of the brush roll I0 moving away from the bladed cylinder I4. It will be understood that the feed roll 22 not only helps to feed the skin. in co-operation with the brush roll I D but that it serves also to aid in keeping the skin I I under tension while it is being treated with the blades I2 and ribs I6. Because of the yieldingr nature of the brush roll I0, the operator retains a substantial control of the feeding speed of the skin and of the amount of tension at which the staking operation is performed. since he may regulate these effects to a large extent by the force of the pull that he exerts upon that portion 24 (Fig. 5) of the skin II which is within his grasp. The brush roll I fl may properly be described as slow-moving, since it is moved by and moves with the skin.

Upon reference particularly to Fig. 5, it will be observed that a blade I2 presses the contacted portion of the skin rather deeply into the yielding surface of the brush roll I0 whereby the skin Awith respect to the bladed cylinder i4.

is bent rather sharply over the edge of the blade and that adjacent portions of the skin are pressed against the surfaces of the closely adjacent ribs I6 (Fig. 6) whereby stretching and softening operations are effected with respect to successive portions of the skin. It is to be remembered in this connection that the cylinder with itsblades I2 and ribs I6 is rotating at' about 750 R. P. M., While the brush roll I with its yielding surface is moving at a very much lower rate, of the order of.20 R. P. M., so that the skin is moved past the rapidly operating blades and ribs at a rate of only about 50 feet per minute. It follows that the blades and ribs repeatedly treat highly localized adjacent areas of the skin in succession during the travel of the skin. `This is one of the reasons that the machine is successful in softening and stretching the skin.

Moreover, the surfaces of the felt ribs act repeatedly to smooth the nap on a suede skin constantly in a given direction whereby the said nap is laiddown smoothly'while at the same time it is lifted somewhat from a condition wher'e it appeared to be pasted down asa result of the slicking operation which preceded drying of the skin. In other words, the nap fibers appeared to be more or less adherent to the skin surface and to each other whereas, by the blocking action of the ribs, the nap is lifted somewhat with the fibers lifted and separated from each other to provide a soft and uniform velvety appearance.

As indicated in the foregoing description, the brush roll I is mounted for movement between work receiving and work presenting positions Power means is preferably provided for moving the brush roll from one of its positions to the other at the will of the operator. Conveniently, a pair of connecting rods Si! (Figs. l and 2) are pivot- `ally mounted on the ends of a shaft 32 which carries the brush roll Il), the other ends of the connecting rods 3ilbeing pivotally connected to cranks 34 on a crank shaft 36 adapted to be clutched for one-half a revolution to a driven i shaft 38. Upon stepping on a treadle lil (Fig. l)

the crank shaft is clutched to the shaft 33 so that the brush roll I() moves from its open or work receiving position in Fig. l to its closed position shown in full lines in Fig. 5. The brush is held unyieldingly in that position until the operator again depresses the treadle 4B whereupon the crank shaft is turned through another half revolution to move the brush roll to open position shown in Fig. 1. This is accomplished A`through the operation of a clutch and stop device which may be of the type disclosed in l, 2, 6 and 7 of the drawings in United States Letters Patent No. 873,790, granted December l?, 1907, upon application of Rood and Perkins. Preferably, the clutch (not shown) is of a type wherein ,provision for rotation of the cylinder at high speed. Secured to the pulley U or (as shown) integral therewith is a second pulley 53 about v which passes a belt 54 which also passesaround a pulley 56 secured to the shaft 38. This shaft 38 has secured thereto a pinion'() arranged to bein mesh with a gear 62 which is adapted to be clutched to the crank shaft 36 by a clutch and stop device, preferably of the type referred to above.

Conveniently the shaft 33 carries a sprocket wheel 'I6 (Fig. 2) about which passes a sprocket chain l2 which also passes about a sprocket 'I4 secured to a shaft i8 having at its other end a pinion f8 arranged to beV constantly in mesh with another pinion 80 secured to a shaft 82 upon which the feed roll 22 is mounted. As heretofore stated, the bladed cylinder I4 is driven at high speed, while the feed roll 22 is driven at a much lower speed, whereby successive portions of the work piece are repeatedly operated upon by the high speed bladed cylinder.

There is preferably provided a dust removal means particularly useful when suede skins are being treated, comprising a conduit 98 the upper end of which is open in close juxtaposition to the revolving surface of the cylinder i4. The lower end of the conduit Si) is connected to a pipe 92 which leads to a chamber wherein there is located a blower (not shown). Conveniently, the upper front wall of the conduit 98 ends in a curved metal roll mi) to serve as a guide to keep the skin II from moving toward the open end of the conduit 90. If desired, a further guide B62 may be provided in the form of a metal sheet member extending forwardly under the brush A roll if! in a position to guide the skin downwardly and toward the front wall of the conduit 99, so that when the roll Iii is in work presenting position the skin l I will hang substantially vertically between guide members Iil and H32.

In operating the machine shown in the drawings, a skin is placed over the brush roll IB when the latter is in the open position shown in Fig. l. Upon depressing the treadle 4d, the brush roll I is caused to move to the work presenting position shown in Fig. 5, where it remains until the operator again depresses the treadle. During the time that the brush roll is in work presenting position, the cylinder I4, in its high speed rotation, causes the blades I2 and the ribs i5 to treat successive portions of the skin repeatedly while the latter is presented by the yielding surface on the slowly moving brush roll In. Each blade l2 on the cylinder I 4 presses a portion of the skin rather deeply into the yielding surface of the brush roll whereby the skin is drawn sharply over the staking edge of the blade. The ribs I6 also aid in the staking operation since they operate to increase the staking pressure and tend to soften the skin through frictional Contact therewith against the pressure of the brush roll. In case a suede skin is being treated, the frictional surfaces on the ribs I6 also serve to smooth out and lift the nap on such suede surface to impart a velvety feel to the leather. Since thefbrush roll l!) is idly mounted, the operator controls, to a substantial extent, the feeding of the skin past the bladed cylinder i4, the feed roll 22 assisting inthe feeding of the skin toward the operator. Substantially one-half of the skin is introduced for the first treatment, since it is desirable to have the staking take place .in a direction away from the backbone line of the skin' toward the margins thereof in the flanks and belly portions of the skin. Subsequently the skin is reintroduced with the then untreated half in position to be treated, the operator securing the desired movements of the roll It through his control of the treadle 40.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

i. In a staking machine, a cylinder having a plurality of blades on its cylindrical surface for operating on a skin, a work supporting roll having a surface layer of resilient yielding material which normally presents a substantially even surface throughout the work engaging part of the roll, the blades being operative to sink successive portions of the skin into the layer of yielding material whereby such portions are bent sharply over the edges of the blades during relative movement between the blades and the skin to effect staking of the latter, the work supporting roll being held unyieldingly in operative relation to the bladed cylinder with its surface moving at substantially the same rate as the skin, and means for rotating the bladed cylinder at high speed.

2. In a staking machine, a cylinder having a plurality of helically arranged blades on its cylindrical surface for operating on a skin, a work supporting roll of yielding material adapted to press a skin into engagement with the surface of said cyiinder, said work supporting roll being freely rotatable and adapted to rotate with the skin passing thereabout, and means for driving said cylinder at a faster speed to provide relative rotation thereof with respect to the work sup- -port and skin thereby to effect staking of the latter.

3. In a machine for treating skins, a cylinder having a plurality of blades on its cylindrical surface .for operating on a skin by relative rotation with respect thereto, said blades being positioned relatively to each other to effect spreading of the skin in `opposite directions from the median line thereof extending in the direction of relative movement between the skin and the blades, and a cylindrical work support of a diameter about that of the bladed cylinder, said work support being movable with the work and having an even surface to present to the skin and also a surface layer substantially uniformly yielding throughout and operative to press portions of the skin sharply over the edges of the blades during the said relative movement between the blades and the skin to effect staking of the latter.

4. In a machine for staking skins, a cylinder having a plurali ty of blades on its cylindrical surface for operating on a skin, said blades being positioned relatively to each other to effect spreading of the skin in opposite directions from the median line thereof extending in the direction of relative movement between the skin and the blades, a brush roll of about the same diameter as the cylinder and having a surface layer substantially uniformly yielding throughout, the

' blades being operative to sink successive portions of the skin into said yielding surface layer, whereby such portions of the skin are sharply bent over the edges of the blades during relative movement between the blades and skin, and treadle controlled means for supporting the brush roll for free rotation therein and for moving said brush roll between work receiving and work presenting positions with respect to the bladed cylinder.

5. In a machine for treating skins, a plurality of blades for operating on a skin, said blades being positioned relatively to each other to effect s, reading of the skin in opposite directions from the median line thereof extending in the direction of relative movement between the skin and the blades, a rotary member carrying said blades and movable to present successive blades for treatment of a given skin, a brush roll of about the same diameter as the rotary member and arranged to support yieldingly successive portions of the skin against the thrust of blades and operative to bend such portions of the skin sharply over the edges of the blades to effect a staking operation, pivoted arms in which the brush roll is mounted for free rotation, and treadle controlled means for moving the arms to cause opening and closing of the brush roll with respect to the rotary bladed member.

G. In a staking machine for skins, a plurality of blades for operating on a skin, a plurality of ribs of relatively firm material arranged in alternation with the blades, each rib having a frictional work contacting surface relatively broad in comparison with the blades, and a roll having a surface layer of resilient yielding material which normally presents a substantially even cylindrical surface for engagement with the skin, said layer of yielding material co-operating with the blades and ribs to press portions of the skin against the fricticnal surfaces on the ribs whereby other portions of the same skin are bent sharply over the edges of the blades, thereby to effect staking operations on the skin during relative movement of the skin with respect to the blades and the roll.

7. A machine according to claim 6, in which a brush roll presents a uniformly yielding surface for 13o-operation with the blades and ribs to effect staking operations on the skin.

8. In a machine for treating skins, a plurality of blades for operating on a skin, said blades being positioned relatively to each other to effect spreading .of the skin in opposite directions from the median line thereof extending in the direction of relative movement between the skin and the blades, a plurality of ribs arranged in spaced relation between the blades and substantially coextensive therewith, each rib having a relatively broad work contacting surface in comparison with the blades, said work contacting surface of the ribs being frictional in quality and located substantially lower than the level of the edges of the blades, a member to support and move the blades and ribs, and a brush roll to press portions of a skin yieldingly against said ribs whereby other portions of the skin are bent rather sharply over the projecting edges of the blades to effect a staking operation of the skin during relative movement of the skin with respect to the ribs and blades.

9. In a. machine for staking skins, a rotary work support movable with and at substantially the same speed as the work, said work support having an even surface to present to a skin and having also a surface layer substantially uniformly yielding throughout, and a rotary cylinder rotatable at a speed greater than said work support t operate on a skin while the latter is backed by the yielding work .supporting surface. said work supporting surface and the operative surface of the cylinder having about the same dimensions, said cylinder having helically arranged blades on its cylindrical surface extending in opposite directions from a longitudinally median part, and said blades operating to sink portions of the skin into the yielding surface layer of the work support whereby said portions are bent sharply over the edges of the blades thereby to spread out and soften the skin undergoing treatment during rotation of the cylinder with respect to the skin.

10. A machine according to claim 9 in which the rotary work support is a brush roll.

11. A machine according to claim 9, in which ribs of relatively firm material are helically arranged in alternation to the blades and in spaced relation thereto to cooperate with said blades in staking operations on the skin.

12. In a machine for treating skins, a-work support having a surface layer yielding throughout, and a rotary cylinder to operate on a skin while the latter is backed by the yielding work supporting surface, said cylinder having helically arranged blades on its cylindrical surface extending in opposite directions from a longitudinally median part, said blades serving to spread out and soften the skin undergoing treatment during rotationr of the cylinder, said cylinder having also ribs of relatively firm felt of substantial thickness, so that each rib presents to the skin an effective frictional surface thereby increasing locally the staking tension on the skin, the ribs being helically arranged in spaced relation to each other and to the blades to co-operate with said blades in staking operations on the skin- 13. In a staking machine for light skins, a brush roll to serve as a yielding work support for a skin undergoing treatment, and a cylinder having helically arranged blades extending in opposite directions from a longitudinally median part of the cylinder and having also ribs of relatively firm material helically arranged between the blades, the work contacting surfaces of the f ribs being substantially lower than the operative edges of the blades, whereby portions of the skin are bent sharply over the edges of the blades by the brush roll to stake the skin undergoing treatment.

14. In a machine for treating skins, a work support having a surface layer yielding throughout, a cylinder to operate on a skin while the latter is backed by the yielding work supporting surface, said cylinder having helically arranged blades on its cylindrical surface extending in opposite directions from a longitudinally median part, said blades serving to spread out and soften the skin undergoing treatment, said cylinder having also ribs of relatively firm material helically arranged in spaced relation between the blades to cca-operate with said blades in increasing locally the tension of staking operations on the skin, and a driven feed roll co-operating with the yielding surface layer of the work support to feed the skin relatively to the cylinder.

15. In a machine for treating skins, a brush roll serving as a work support having a uniformly yielding surface, a cylinder to operate on a skin while the latter is backed by the yielding work supporting surface, said cylinder having helically arranged blades on its cylindrical surface extending in opposite directions from a median part, said blades serving to spread out and soften the skin undergoing treatment, and a driven feed roll arranged to co-operate with the brush roll in feeding the skin.

16. In a machine for staking and blocking suede skins, a work support having a surface layer yielding throughout, a cylinder for treating a skin presented with the suede surface toward said cylinder, helically arranged blades on the surface of the cylinder extending in opposite directions from the longitudinally median part of the cylinder, and ribs of relatively firm material helically arranged on the surface of the cylinder between said blades, the ribs each having a relatively broad work treating surface located at a level substantially below that of the edges of the blades, whereby the blades by sinking into the yielding surfaceof the work support operate to stretch out and soften a skin while at the same time the ribs smooth out the suede surface of the skin undergoing treatment.

17. In a machine for staking and blocking suede skins, a brush roll having a yielding surface, a cylinder for treating a skin presented with the suede surface toward said cylinder, helically arranged blades on the surface of the cylinder extending in opposite directions from the longitudinally median part of the cylinder, and ribs of felt helically arranged on the surface of the cylinder between said blades, the ribs each having a relatively broad frictional surface located at a level substantially below that of the edges of the blades, whereby the blades by sinking into the yielding surface of the brush roll operate to stretch out and soften a skin while at the same time the ribs smooth out the suede surface of the skin undergoing treatment.

DAVID EDGAR. 

